No charset meta tag?

by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2005/09/22 20:00 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2005/09/22/473049.aspx


I just got a message from Mihai yesterday:

Digging into the indented links issues a couple of days ago, I got to see the source of your blog.

To my surprise, there is no charset meta in the head section. Deadly sin! :-) Anything to say in your defense? :-)

Hmmmm, Mihai is right. There is no charset meta tag there, so the page gives no assistance when it comes to Character Set Recognition.

I have nothing to say in my defense. And it looks like a long-standing problem -- .Text (the predecessor to Community Server) has it too.

I don't think Scott Watermasysk actually reads this blog. I guess I could ask on his or something.

I am impressed at how well my blog has worked all that time with all the various characters I put up here!

(I'll show off some of that a bit now!)

 

 

 

 

॥ਂਅਆਇਈਉਊਏਐਓਔਕਖਗਘਙਚਛਜਝਞਟਠਡਢਣਤਥਦਧਨਪਫਬਭਮਯਰਲਲ਼ਵਸ਼ਸਹ਼ਾਿੀੁੂੇੈੋੌ੍ਖ਼ਗ਼ਜ਼ੜਫ਼੦੧੨੩੪੫੬੭੮੯ੰੱੲੳੴ

।॥ઁંઃઅઆઇઈઉઊઋઍએઐઑઓઔકખગઘઙચછજઝઞટઠડઢણતથદધનપફબભમયરલળવશષસહ઼ઽાિીુૂૃૄૅેૈૉોૌ્ૐૠ૦૧૨૩૪૫૬૭૮૯

ԱԲԳԴԵԶԷԸԹԺԻԼԽԾԿՀՁՂՃՄՅՆՇՈՉՊՋՌՍՎՏՐՑՒՓՔՕՖՙ՚՛՜՝՞՟աբգդեզէըթժիլխծկհձղճմյնշոչպջռսվտրցւփքօֆև։֊

აბგდევზთიკლმნოპჟრსტუფქღყშჩცძწჭხჯჰჱჲჳჴჵჶ჻

।॥ಂಃಅಆಇಈಉಊಋಌಎಏಐಒಓಔಕಖಗಘಙಚಛಜಝಞಟಠಡಢಣತಥದಧನಪಫಬಭಮಯರಱಲಳವಶಷಸಹಾಿೀುೂೃೄೆೇೈೊೋೌ್ೕೖೞೠೡ೦೧೨೩೪೫೬೭೮೯

।॥ঁংঃঅআইঈউঊঋঌএঐওঔকখগঘঙচছজঝঞটঠডঢণতথদধনপফবভমযরলশষসহ়ািীুূৃৄেৈোৌ্ৗড়ঢ়য়ৠৡৢৣ০১২৩৪৫৬৭৮৯ৰৱ৲৳৴৵৶৷৸৹৺

กขฃคฅฆงจฉชซฌญฎฏฐฑฒณดตถทธนบปผฝพฟภมยรฤลฦวศสหฬอฮฯะัาำิีึืฺุู฿เแโใไๅๆ็่้๊๋์ํ๎๏๐๑๒๓๔๕๖๗๘๙๚๛

ఁంఃఅఆఇఈఉఊఋఌఎఏఐఒఓఔకఖగఘఙచఛజఝఞటఠడఢణతథదధనపఫబభమయరఱలళవశషసహాిీుూృౄెేైొోౌ్ౕౖౠౡ౦౧౨౩౪౫౬౭౮౯‌

ംഃഅആഇഈഉഊഋഌഎഏഐഒഓഔകഖഗഘങചഛജഝഞടഠഡഢണതഥദധനപഫബഭമയരറലളഴവശഷസഹാിീുൂൃെേൈൊോൌ്ൗൠൡ൦൧൨൩൪൫൬൭൮൯

ஂஃஅஆஇஈஉஊஎஏஐஒஓஔகஙசஜஞடணதநனபமயரறலளழவஷஸஹாிீுூெேைொோௌ்ௗ௧௨௩௪௫௬௭௮௯௰௱௲

ँंःअआइईउऊऋऌऍऎएऐऑऒओऔकखगघङचछजझञटठडढणतथदधनऩपफबभमयरऱलळऴवशषसह़ऽािीुूृॄॅॆेैॉॊोौ्ॐ॒॑॓॔क़ख़ग़ज़ड़ढ़फ़य़ॠॡॢॣ।॥०१२३४५६७८९॰

ༀ༁༂༃༄༅༆༇༈༉༊་༌།༎༏༐༑༒༓༔༕༖༗༘༙༚༛༜༝༞༟༠༡༢༣༤༥༦༧༨༩༪༫༬༭༮༯༰༱༲༳༴༵༶༷༸༹༺༻༼༽༾༿ཀཁགགྷངཅཆཇཉཊཋཌཌྷཎཏཐདདྷནཔཕབབྷམཙཚཛཛྷཝཞཟའཡརལཤཥསཧཨཀྵཪཱཱཱིིུུྲྀཷླྀཹེཻོཽཾཿ྄ཱྀྀྂྃ྅྆྇ྈྉྊྋྐྑྒྒྷྔྕྖྗྙྚྛྜྜྷྞྟྠྡྡྷྣྤྥྦྦྷྨྩྪྫྫྷྭྮྯྰྱྲླྴྵྶྷྸྐྵྺྻྼ྾྿࿀࿁࿂࿃࿄࿅࿆࿇࿈࿉࿊࿋࿌࿏

ꀀꀁꀂꀃꀄꀅꀆꀇꀈꀉꀊꀋꀌꀍꀎꀏꀐꀑꀒꀓꀔꀕꀖꀗꀘꀙꀚꀛꀜꀝꀞꀟꀠꀡꀢꀣꀤꀥꀦꀧꀨꀩꀪꀫꀬꀭꀮꀯꀰꀱꀲꀳꀴꀵꀶꀷꀸꀹꀺꀻꀼꀽꀾꀿꁀꁁꁂꁃꁄꁅꁆꁇꁈꁉꁊꁋꁌꁍꁎꁏꁐꁑꁒꁓꁔꁕꁖꁗꁘꁙꁚꁛꁜꁝꁞꁟꁠꁡꁢꁣꁤꁥꁦꁧꁨꁩꁪꁫꁬꁭꁮꁯꁰꁱꁲꁳꁴꁵꁶꁷꁸꁹꁺꁻꁼꁽꁾꁿꂀꂁꂂꂃꂃꂄꂅꂆꂇꂈꂉꂊꂋꂌꂍꂎꂏꂐꂑꂒꂓꂔꂕꂖꂗꂘꂙꂚꂛꂜꂝꂞꂟꂠꂡꂢꂣꂤꂥꂦꂧꂨꂩꂪꂫꂭꂮꂯꂰꂱꂲꂳꂴꂵꂶꂷꂸꂹꂺꂻꂼꂽꂾꂿꃀꃁꃂꃃꃄꃅꃆꃇꃈꃉꃊꃋꃌꃍꃎꃏꃐꃑꃒꃓꃔꃕꃖꃗꃘꃙꃚꃛꃜꃝꃞꃟꃠꃡꃢꃣꃤꃥꃦꃧꃨꃩꃪꃫꃬꃭꃮꃯꃰꃱꃲꃳꃴꃵꃶꃷꃸꃹꃺꃻꃼꃽꃾꃿꄀꄁꄂꄃꄄꄅꄆꄇꄈꄉꄊꄋꄌꄍꄎꄏꄐꄑꄒꄓꄔꄕꄖꄗꄘꄙꄚꄛꄜꄝꄞꄟꄠꄡꄢꄣꄤꄥꄦꄧꄨꄩꄪꄫꄬꄭꄮꄯꄰꄱꄲꄳꄴꄵꄶꄷꄸꄹꄺꄻꄼꄽꄾꄿꅀꅁꅂꅃꅄꅅꅆꅇꅈꅉꅊꅋꅌꅍꅎꅏꅐꅒꅓꅔꅕꅖꅖꅗꅘꅙꅚꅛꅜꅝꅞꅟꅠꅡꅢꅣꅤꅥꅦꅧꅨꅩꅪꅫꅬꅭꅮꅯꅰꅱꅲꅳꅴꅵꅶꅷꅸꅹꅺꅻꅼꅽꅾꅿꆀꆁꆂꆃꆄꆅꆆꆇꆈꆉꆊꆋꆌꆍꆎꆏꆐꆑꆒꆓꆔꆔꆕꆖꆗꆘꆙꆚꆛꆜꆝꆞꆟꆠꆡꆢꆣꆤꆥꆦꆧꆨꆩꆪꆫꆬꆭꆮꆯꆱꆲꆳꆴꆵꆶꆷꆸꆹꆺꆻꆼꆽꆾꆿꇀꇁꇂꇃꇄꇅꇆꇇꇈꇉꇊꇋꇌꇍꇎꇏꇐꇑꇒꇓꇔꇕꇖꇗꇘꇙꇚꇛꇜꇝꇞꇟꇠꇡꇢꇣꇤꇥꇦꇧꇨꇩꇪꇬꇭꇮꇯꇰꇱꇲꇳꇴꇵꇶꇷꇸꇹꇺꇻꇼꇽꇾꇿꈀꈂꈂꈃꈄꈅꈆꈇꈈꈉꈊꈋꈌꈍꈎꈏꈐꈑꈒꈓꈔꈕꈖꈗꈘꈙꈚꈛꈜꈝꈞꈟꈠꈡꈢꈣꈤꈥꈦꈧꈨꈩꈪꈫꈬꈭꈮꈯꈰꈱꈲꈴꈵꈶꈷꈸꈹꈺꈻꈼꈽꈽꈾꈿꉀꉁꉂꉃꉄꉅꉆꉇꉈꉉꉊꉋꉌꉍꉎꉏꉐꉑꉒꉓꉔꉕꉖꉗꉘꉙꉚꉛꉜꉝꉞꉟꉠꉡꉢꉣꉤꉥꉦꉧꉨꉩꉪꉫꉬꉭꉮꉯꉱꉲꉳꉴꉵꉶꉷꉸꉹꉺꉻꉼꉽꉾꉿꊀꊁꊂꊃꊄꊅꊆꊇꊈꊉꊊꊋꊌꊍꊎꊏꊐꊑꊒꊓꊔꊕꊖꊗꊘꊙꊚꊛꊜꊝꊞꊟꊠꊡꊢꊣꊤꊥꊦꊧꊨꊩꊪꊫꊬꊭꊮꊯꊰꊱꊲꊳꊴꊵꊶꊷꊸꊹꊺꊻꊼꊽꊾꊿꋀꋁꋂꋃꋄꋅꋆꋇꋈꋉꋊꋋꋌꋍꋎꋏꋐꋑꋒꋓꋔꋕꋖꋗꋘꋙꋚꋛꋜꋝꋞꋟꋠꋡꋢꋣꋤꋥꋦꋧꋨꋩꋪꋫꋬꋭꋮꋯꋰꋱꋲꋳꋴꋵꋶꋷꋸꋹꋺꋻꋼꋽꋾꋿꌀꌁꌂꌃꌄꌅꌆꌇꌈꌉꌊꌋꌌꌍꌎꌏꌐꌑꌒꌓꌔꌕꌖꌗꌘꌙꌚꌛꌜꌝꌞꌟꌠꌡꌢꌣꌤꌥꌦꌧꌨꌩꌪꌫꌬꌭꌮꌯꌰꌱꌲꌳꌴꌵꌶꌷꌸꌹꌺꌻꌼꌽꌾꌿꍀꍁꍂꍃꍄꍅꍆꍇꍈꍉꍊꍋꍌꍍꍎꍏꍐꍑꍒꍓꍔꍕꍖꍗꍘꍙꍚꍛꍜꍝꍞꍟꍠꍡꍢꍣꍤꍥꍦꍧꍨꍩꍪꍫꍬꍭꍮꍯꍰꍱꍲꍳꍴꍵꍶꍷꍸꍹꍺꍻꍼꍽꍾꍿꎀꎁꎂꎃꎄꎅꎆꎇꎈꎉꎊꎋꎌꎍꎎꎏꎐꎑꎒꎓꎔꎕꎖꎗꎘꎙꎚꎛꎜꎝꎞꎟꎠꎡꎢꎣꎤꎥꎦꎧꎨꎩꎪꎫꎬꎭꎮꎯꎰꎱꎲꎳꎴꎵꎶꎷꎸꎹꎺꎻꎼꎽꎾꎿꏀꏁꏂꏃꏄꏅꏆꏇꏈꏉꏊꏋꏌꏍꏎꏐꏑꏒꏓꏔꏕꏖꏗꏘꏙꏚꏛꏜꏝꏞꏟꏠꏡꏢꏣꏤꏥꏦꏧꏨꏩꏪꏫꏬꏭꏮꏯꏰꏱꏲꏳꏴꏵꏶꏷꏸꏹꏺꏻꏼꏽꏾꏿꐀꐁꐂꐃꐄꐅꐆꐇꐈꐉꐊꐋꐌꐍꐎꐏꐐꐑꐒꐓꐔꐕꐖꐗꐘꐙꐚꐛꐜꐝꐞꐟꐠꐡꐢꐣꐤꐥꐦꐧꐨꐩꐪꐫꐬꐭꐮꐯꐰꐱꐲꐳꐴꐵꐶꐷꐸꐹꐺꐻꐼꐽꐾꐿꑀꑁꑂꑃꑄꑅꑆꑇꑈꑉꑊꑋꑌꑍꑎꑏꑐꑑꑒꑓꑔꑕꑖꑗꑘꑙꑚꑛꑜꑝꑞꑟꑠꑡꑢꑣꑤꑥꑦꑧꑨꑩꑪꑫꑬꑭꑮꑯꑰꑱꑲꑳꑴꑵꑶꑷꑸꑹꑺꑻꑼꑽꑾꑿꒀꒁꒂꒃꒄꒅꒆꒇꒈꒉꒊꒋꒌ

꒐꒑꒒꒓꒔꒕꒖꒗꒘꒙꒚꒛꒜꒝꒞꒟꒠꒡꒤꒥꒦꒧꒨꒩꒪꒫꒬꒭꒮꒯꒰꒱꒲꒳꒵꒶꒷꒸꒹꒺꒻꒼꒽꒾꒿꓀꓂꓃꓄꓆

᠀᠁᠂᠃᠄᠅᠆᠇᠈᠉᠊᠋᠌᠍᠎᠐᠑᠒᠓᠔᠕᠖᠗᠘᠙ᠠᠡᠢᠣᠤᠥᠦᠧᠨᠩᠪᠫᠬᠭᠮᠯᠰᠱᠲᠳᠴᠵᠶᠷᠸᠹᠺᠻᠼᠽᠾᠿᡀᡁᡂᡃᡄᡅᡆᡇᡈᡉᡊᡋᡌᡍᡎᡏᡐᡑᡒᡓᡔᡕᡖᡗᡘᡙᡚᡛᡜᡝᡞᡟᡠᡡᡢᡣᡤᡥᡦᡧᡨᡩᡪᡫᡬᡭᡮᡯᡰᡱᡲᡳᡴᡵᡶᡷᢀᢁᢂᢃᢄᢅᢆᢇᢈᢉᢊᢋᢌᢍᢎᢏᢐᢑᢒᢓᢔᢕᢖᢗᢘᢙᢚᢛᢜᢝᢞᢟᢠᢡᢢᢣᢤᢥᢦᢧᢨᢩ

،؛؟ހށނރބޅކއވމފދތލގޏސޑޒޓޔޕޖޗޘޙޚޛޜޝޞޟޠޡޢޣޤޥަާިީުޫެޭޮޯް

〱〲〳〴〵〶〷ぁあぃいぅうぇえぉおかがきぎくぐけげこごさざしじすずせぜそぞただちぢっつづてでとどなにぬねのはばぱひびぴふぶぷへべぺほぼぽまみむめもゃやゅゆょよらりるれろゎわゐゑをんゔ゛゜ゝゞァアィイゥウェエォオカガキギクグケゲコゴサザシジスズセゼソゾタダチヂッツヅテデトドナニヌネノハバパヒビピフブプヘベペホボポマミムメモャヤュユョヨラリルレロヮワヰヱヲンヴヵヶヷヸヹヺ・ーヽヾ、・ヲァィゥェォャュョッーアイウエオカキクケコサシスセソタチツテトナニヌネノハヒフヘホマミムメモヤユヨラリルレロワン゙゚

ᄀᄁᄂᄃᄄᄅᄆᄇᄈᄉᄊᄋᄌᄍᄎᄏᄐᄑᄒᄓᄔᄕᄖᄗᄘᄙᄚᄛᄜᄝᄞᄟᄠᄡᄢᄣᄤᄥᄦᄧᄨᄩᄪᄫᄬᄭᄮᄯᄰᄱᄲᄳᄴᄵᄶᄷᄸᄹᄺᄻᄼᄽᄾᄿᅀᅁᅂᅃᅄᅅᅆᅇᅈᅉᅊᅋᅌᅍᅎᅏᅐᅑᅒᅓᅔᅕᅖᅗᅘᅙᅟᅠᅡᅢᅣᅤᅥᅦᅧᅨᅩᅪᅫᅬᅭᅮᅯᅰᅱᅲᅳᅴᅵᅶᅷᅸᅹᅺᅻᅼᅽᅾᅿᆀᆁᆂᆃᆄᆅᆆᆇᆈᆉᆊᆋᆌᆍᆎᆏᆐᆑᆒᆓᆔᆕᆖᆗᆘᆙᆚᆛᆜᆝᆞᆟᆠᆡᆢᆨᆩᆪᆫᆬᆭᆮᆯᆰᆱᆲᆳᆴᆵᆶᆷᆸᆹᆺᆻᆼᆽᆾᆿᇀᇁᇂᇃᇄᇅᇆᇇᇈᇉᇊᇋᇌᇍᇎᇏᇐᇑᇒᇓᇔᇕᇖᇗᇘᇙᇚᇛᇜᇝᇞᇟᇠᇡᇢᇣᇤᇥᇦᇧᇨᇩᇪᇫᇬᇭᇮᇯᇰᇱᇲᇳᇴᇵᇶᇷᇸᇹ


# Mike Dimmick on 22 Sep 2005 8:35 PM:

The server sends "Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8", so no need to worry.

If the meta tag was present it would override the header, I think (in current browsers; the HTML 4.01 spec still pretends that META HTTP-EQUIV is a hint to the server to output a header, which in fact no server has ever done, as far as I'm aware).

# Michael S. Kaplan on 22 Sep 2005 8:38 PM:

There are many times that the relationship between a standard and reality is a tenuous one. :-)

# Michael S. Kaplan on 22 Sep 2005 8:39 PM:

By the way, all this text looks good on a Vista machine (if you make allowances for the fact that I just serially entered characters and thus did not buid for proper shaping!)

# CornedBee on 22 Sep 2005 11:27 PM:

The server header overrides the meta tag. Or at least it should.

http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/charset.html#h-5.2.2
HTML 4.01 says:

> To sum up, conforming user agents must observe the
> following priorities when determining a document's
> character encoding (from highest priority to lowest):
>
> 1. An HTTP "charset" parameter in a "Content-Type" field.
> 2. A META declaration with "http-equiv" set to "Content-Type" and a value set for "charset".
> 3. The charset attribute set on an element that designates an external resource.


# Maurits [MSFT] on 23 Sep 2005 11:50 AM:

IMHO, if you have an option to specify something as an HTTP header or a <meta http-equiv>, the HTTP header is usually the better option.

Why?

Well, for one thing, it's nice to know the character set before having to read any of the character data!

http-equiv/charset is a bit like keeping the key to a lockbox inside the lockbox :)

# Mihai on 23 Sep 2005 12:32 PM:

As with many other things, I think the answer for "what is best" is "it depends."
The HTTP header is decided by the server based on config files. And if your ISP (for some stupid reason) decided to set the header to iso-8859-1, you want to be able to override that.
And, in general, even if the ISP have set the server to utf-8, maybe I want to have the control!

You can sometimes have troubles if the content of the files do not match what the server thinks (on certain versions of certain servers). For instance server side includes will garble characters if the server is set to utf-8 and you use something else :-(
Good to remember: if you see that a one page frome the server is half good, half bad, and if you use server include, now you know one of the possible reasons.

# Maurits [MSFT] on 23 Sep 2005 12:49 PM:

Check out http://blogs.msdn.com/

It returns a header:
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8

But if you look at the source it includes a <meta> tag:
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">

Both can't be right. :) There's a č that's being served as raw C5A1, so I'm inclined to believe the UTF8 claim -- rather amusing that it's raw, since the à is being escaped as &#224;

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2008/02/09 If the [IE7 on Vista ]browser doesn't have anything nice to display, it might display nothing?

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